Emergency signal



Nov. 26, 1963 E. B. QUIGLEY EMERGENCY SIGNAL Filed Sept. 50, 1959 FIGS.

ATTK

INVENTORI EDWIN B. QUIGLEY United States Patent 3,111,782 EMERGENCY SIGNAL Edwin B. Quigley, Box 448, RD. 2, Boyer-town, Pa. Filed Sept. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 843,455 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-128) This invention relates to distress location indicators and more particularly to a home or residence marker which not only indicates the name of the occupant, but also permits selective signals to be given to indicate the need for emergency help.

In rural and suburban areas a serious problem arises to direct needed help to the proper home or location from which it has been summoned, usually by telephone. With the ever-increasing shift in population and larger areas served by emergency equipment such as fire, ambulance, and police, it is generally impossible for any driver who may be called upon to know instantly the location of the home to which he has been summoned. Not only is this true in rural and suburban districts, but it also applies to multiple dwellings, such as apartment houses, where it may not be clear which apartment is in need of help.

The present invention has for its primary object, therefore, the provision of a combined name marker having flaps or tabs which can be selectively moved to a visible position to indicate that help of some sort is needed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protected residence marker having selective tabs swingable from a concealed to a visible position to indicate some condition existing in the residence.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a distress location indicator in which selective panels can be moved from a concealed to a visible position in the event help of some sort is needed.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a combined residence marker and distress indicator constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail as seen at 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a section as seen at 33 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a section as seen at 44 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the assembly of the distress tabs or flaps,

FIG. 6 illustrates a slightly different embodiment having the flaps positioned at opposite ends of the marker,

FIG. 7 is a front view of a variation intended for use in apartment dwellings, and

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the structure of FIG. 7.

The invention comprises essentially the provision of a canopy from which suitable indicia may be permanently suspended and in which at least some of the indicia can be moved or pivoted firom a dependent visible position to an upper concealed position under the canopy. In a variation useful primarily in urban residences or apartment houses, the distress indicia take the form of sliding panels which may be moved from a concealed to a visible position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the present invention has a canopy assembly 10 which comprises two sloping sides ltia and 10b joined together to form an apex or ridge section 11 and having end elements 12 and 13. A relatively permanent or immovable panel 15 is suspended along the ridge 11 by means of two or more eyebolts 16, 16 having threaded shanks 17 which at their bottom termini are slotted at 18 and drilled at 19. The panel 15 fits into the slots 18 where it is secured by means of pins 20, 21). The panel 15 is drawn tightly against the ridge 11 of the canopy 10' by means of nuts 21, 21 on the threaded shanks 17 and which can 3,1 1 1,782 Patented Nov. 26, '1963 be drawn down securely against Vd-out bushings 22, 22 and washers 23, 273. This structure described above provides a relatively simple and inexpensive permanent sign for indicating the owner or occupant of a residence, as is shown in FIGURE '1. The panel 15 can be removed when desired simply by loosening the nuts 21, 21 but when assembled and mounted on a post and arm or a wall bracket, it provides -a secure permanent indication of the occupants name.

Referring to FIGURE 1, it will be noted that the panel 15 does not extend for the full length of the canopy.-

One end of the canopy is provided with a fixed hinge element 30 which carries a pintle 31 on which two aligned distress flaps 32 and 33 are swingably supported. It will be noted in FIG. 2 that the pintle cannot be removed after the panel 15 has been installed since it is in alignment with the panel.

:Flap 33 is provided with two eyes 34 and 35 through which the pintle 31 is inserted and these eyes are axially spaced with regard to eyes 36 and 37 on flap 32. It will thus be understood that the flaps 32 and 33 are each individually swingable on pintle 31 and can be located in general alignment with each other.

The end 12 of canopy 10 is provided with a series of dimples 40, 40. The center pair of dimples shown in FIGURE I prevent undesired swinging of whichever flap may be suspended in a vertical position. When it is desired to have both of the flaps 32 and 33 concealed, they are swung upwardly and forced over the outside dimples 4-1, 411 as shown in FIG. 3, thus holding both of the panels up underneath the canopy sides.

The particular type of indicia on the flaps depends upon the type of service which may be required. Preferably both sides of flaps 32 will be reflectively painted in red to indicate that either fire or police are needed or have been summoned. The other fiap 33 hay have a reflective green cross on either or both sides to indicate the need tfior medical attention such as ambulance or doctor. Likewise any other indicia is desirably painted with reflective characters.

Where it is not desired to use the entire length for panel 15 as in the case of a large apartment house, it may be desired to have a shorter panel 15a on which two or more apartments are designated. One or more flaps at the opposite end of the canopy may be pivoted to indicate which apartment is in need of help, for example, the upstairs or downstairs, as the case may be.

For apartment houses having reception foy'ers or in other circumstances where an outside hanging indicator would be desirable, it is contemplated to utilize the indicator "shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In this form a recessed body member is provided with two horizontal slots 51 and 52 through which pins 53- and 54 protrude. The pins are secured to edges of slidable panels 55 and 56 respectively, panel 55 having the green cross corresponding to flap 33' to indicate the need of medical assistance, and panel 56 having the red block corresponding to flap 3 2 to indicate the need for fire fighting or police help. The panels 55 and 56 are retained in position by a back element 57 which is held in the body member 50 against ledges 58 and 59 by screws or bolts, not shown, passing through holes 60 and 61. The center 62 of body member 50' is either open or provided with a transparent element so that when either of the panels 55 or 56 is moved into alignment with the opening 62, it will clearly indicate the location to which the emergency help must go.

It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular types of emergency helpneeded and the movable flaps or panels may also be changed to indicate the need for various other supplies or services as circumstances may warrant. Examples of such other services would be the delivery of food, the need for the collection of trash, or any other type of generally known public service. Anothm purpose would be indicated when electric service such as power failure, telephone service, or the like, is needed. The device is simple to manufacture, easy to operate, and fulfills a badly needed function which in real emergencies will save many thousands of dollars and lives.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An emergency signal assembly which comprises, a shallow inverted V-shaped canopy, end elements closing the open ends of said canopy, a vertical extending rigid main indicia panel bisecting the apex of said V-shaped canopy, means for [rigidly securing said panel along the apex of said canopy in a position to extend downwardly below said canopy to expose indicia on said panel, said means including at least one securing element for the panel extending upwardly through the apex of the canopy, an elongated pin passing through said securing element and the panel, means on the securing element for drawing the panel against the apex to an elevated position in which the pin is prevented by the canopy from moving endwise to become disengaged from the panel, a hinge, said hinge being positioned at one end of said rigid panel under the canopy bisecting the apex of said canopy, a second panel suspended from said hinge, indicia on said second panel visible below said canopy 'when the second panel hangs in a vertical position, and means for retaining the second panel in a raised position under the canopy when said second panel is removed from view.

2. An emergency signal assembly which comprises, a shallow inverted V-shaped canopy, end elements closing the open ends of said canopy, a vertical extending rigid main indicia panel 'biseeting the apex of said V-shaped canopy, means tor rigidly securing said panel along the apex of said canopy in a position to extend downwardly below said canopy to expose indicia on said panel, said means including at least one securing element for the panel extending upwardly through the apex of the canopy, an elongated pin passing through said securing element and the panel, means on the securing element for drawing the panel against the apex to an elevated position in which the pin is prevented by the canopy from moving endwise to become disengaged from the panel, a hinge,

said hinge being positioned at one end of said rigid panel under the canopy bisecting the apex of said canopy, a second panel suspended from said hinge, i-ndicia on said second panel visible below said canopy when the second panel hangs in a vertical position, and means for preventing said second panel from swinging when said second panel is in viewable position.

3. An emergency signal assembly comprising a shallow inverted V-shaped canopy, end elements closing the open ends of said canopy, said end elements having at least two pairs of spaced inwardly disposed dimples, a vertically extending rigid main indicia panel bisecting the apex of said V-shaped canopy, indic-ia disposed in a viewable position below said canopy, at least one slotted eye bolt extending upwardly through said apex with the slotted portion straddling said main panel, an elongated pin passing through said bolt and panel for securing said panel to said bolt, means on the bolt for drawing the panel against the apex to an elevated position in which the pin is prevented by the canopy from moving endwise and disengaged from said panel, at least one hinge secured to the canopy and aligned therewith at the end of said panel, a second panel suspended from said hinge, emergency indicia on said second panel visible below said canopy when suspended in vertical position, said second panel positioned between a first pair of said dimples when in vertical position, said second panel being held in a raised non-viewing position by one of said dimples of the second pair, said second panel being vertical and exposed during emergency conditions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 956,098 Hopkins Apr. 26, 1910 1,083,706 Schrnachtenberger Jan. 6, 1914 1,157,561 McDougall Oct. 19, 1915 1,240,640 Wins-ton Sept. 18, 1917 1,369,245 Inches Feb. 22, 1921 2,104,895 Buses et al. Ian. 11, 19-38 2,104,95l Reverman Jan. 11, 1938 2,265,597 Finch Dec. 9, 1941 2,608,011 Ten Hoeve Aug. 26, 1952 

1. AN EMERGENCY SIGNAL ASSEMBLY WHICH COMPRISES, A SHALLOW INVERTED V-SHAPED CANOPY, END ELEMENTS CLOSING THE OPEN ENDS OF SAID CANOPY, A VERTICAL EXTENDING RIGID MAIN INDICIA PANEL BISECTING THE APEX OF SAID V-SHAPED CANOPY, MEANS FOR RIGIDLY SECURING SAID PANEL ALONG THE APEX OF SAID CANOPY IN A POSITION TO EXTEND DOWNWARDLY BELOW SAID CANOPY TO EXPOSE INDICIA ON SAID PANEL, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE SECURING ELEMENT FOR THE PANEL EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE APEX OF THE CANOPY, AN ELONGATED PIN PASSING THROUGH SAID SECURING ELEMENT AND THE PANEL, MEANS ON THE SECURING ELEMENT FOR DRAWING THE PANEL AGAINST THE APEX TO AN ELEVATED POSITION IN WHICH THE PIN IS PREVENTED BY THE CANOPY FROM MOVING ENDWISE TO BECOME DISENGAGED FROM THE PANEL, A HINGE, SAID HINGE BEING POSITIONED AT ONE END OF SAID RIGID PANEL UNDER THE CANOPY BISECTING THE APEX OF SAID CANOPY, A SECOND PANEL SUSPENDED FROM SAID HINGE, INDICIA ON SAID SECOND PANEL VISIBLE BELOW SAID CANOPY WHEN THE SECOND PANEL HANGS IN A VERTICAL POSITION, AND MEANS FOR RETAINING THE SECOND PANEL IN A RAISED POSITION UNDER THE CANOPY WHEN SAID SECOND PANEL IS REMOVED FROM VIEW. 